My Hero Academia: The Fine Line
Author Note: Heyo my fellow FF writers/readers and thank you for taking the time to read this tale. This is my first take on doing a fiction on MHA and I hope I can deliver a decent story for your entertainment.
As always, I'm open to any critique on grammar, structural errors, and so forth, however disclaimer before reading: this story is NOT canon to the series, it is purely fanmade and may contain character development, plots, material, and traits not used or mentioned in the official manga/anime. Please do not be surprised if certain characters do not follow or behave like how the original series has portrayed them. I will still attempt to retain their personalities to my best ability.
Also to add, there won't be any romance or ships in this tale, maybe a hint here and there but this tale is mainly focused on the more "dread" aspects. That said, My Hero Academia and its characters belong to Kohei Horikoshi and Jump Comics. Enjoy the tale and hope to hear from you soon!
Chapter 1: Mystery Gift
Izuku Midoriya could smell it now. The sweet scent of the summer air and freedom. Final exams were officially over. His first year at UA had finished and now he can finally kick back and bask under the summer sun with a cool beverage in one hand and some much needed rest and relaxation. Though vacation is not really a term he can use since as a hero in training he's expected to perform his duties in upholding peace across the city of Musutafu. Under the supervision of pro heroes of course. But apart from that our beloved hero doesn't need feel a single worry about another test or assignment from his teacher, Shota Aizawa, or his other duties bound to his school. For this summer he can enjoy himself being a regular teenager again, even if for a short time.
Since taking upon One for All and working to be the hero he always dream of being, Izuku's journey has been very far from easy. Enduring numerous injuries, overcoming all sorts of challenges given to him by his school of UA, and surviving not 1 not 2 but 3 major villain encounters at such a young age. It's a miracle he's still breathing. Over time Izuka came to terms that the path to being a hero is not simply like in a comic book. And it's more than being the most educated, stopping an all powerful villain, or coming up with some flashy signature move. In fact these recent events help him realize how much he has grown within and around him. While he still hasn't come up with a definite answer there's one thing he's taken since attending UA. The bonds he created with his fellow classmates and facility in UA will forever be cherished.
The past year has been full of surprises and events it sound almost impossible to believe for someone of his young age to go through. But here we are today. Izuku Midoriya showing the world he has what it takes to be a top notch hero like the current pro heroes. And not just him; his fellow classmates of Class 1A has also shown outstanding potential of being the next batch of new generation heroes. Izuku can't help but feel a small sense of pride and joy that he's part of a wonderful class of heroes, but more importantly, his closest friends.
That said, hero duty can wait for the moment, as it is now time to celebrate.
Izuku finishes up his last set of notes for the summer before he places down his hero notebook onto his desk for quite possibly the rest of the summer until needed or when he starts school again. He gazes around his dorm room to make sure he's set to head downstairs. All his All Might figurines and posters are in order. Izuku nods confidently and leaves his room for the dorm's common room.
He and several of his fellow students plan to leave the dorms to visit their families for the duration of the break. Being away from their families for so long has taken its toll on the aspiring heroes and some much needed R & R with their families will do them nicely. But before said plans can be set in motion there's but one, last task the students and Izuku need to do. House Party.
As suggested by class 1A's Mina Ashido, the aspiring heroes class gathered all the essentials for a grand party in the dorms. Against his better judgment, Aizawa approves 1A's party arrangement for such activities are not allowed to take place in the dorms. The exception was made and the students eagerly prepare for the evening of fun. The homeroom teacher bids his farewell and departs for his home to rest a bit, leaving the students to plan and prep for tonight's festivities. By the time evening sets across the students' second home, heaven and hell breaks loose as Class 1A celebrates their completion of their first year of UA.
The party was far from being quiet, but at the same time it wasn't far from being needed. The stress of finals and the attacks from the League of Villains is finally lifting off the students' minds. And a chance to unwind and act like a teenager again is a fresh breath of air for everyone. Whether it was consumption of the various snacks prepared by Sato and Todoroki or the karaoke sung by Jiro, the evening is going off with a blast.
Speaking of blasts, even Class 1A's explosive hero student, Katsuki Bakugo, attended the dorm party much to everyone's surprise. Albeit his scowling face says more to Izuku of Bakugo's attendance to the party. His "friend" seems to only so slightly tolerate the company of his fellow classmates during the evening. Thankfully no incident erupted from the hot tempered student and with Todoroki preparing the short fused student his favorite Mapo Tofu dish Bakugo is for the time being in a relative calm state.
Izuku couldn't help but smile upon seeing the joy in everyone's face attending tonight's party. With what has happened over the course of their first year he's glad his class is allowed something nice for a change. Whether a blessing or curse in disguise, Izuku and his classmates have been exposed to PLENTY of hero work for first years. During his musings of recalling events a nudge on the shoulder grabs Izuku out of his thoughts. Not far away the zero gravity hero in training, Ochaco Uraraka, stares in confusion towards Izuka while munching on a small plate of snacks.
"What are you muttering this time Deku?" Uraraka asked, finishing another bite of fruit.
"Oh! U-Uraraka, sorry just thinking to myself. Can I help you with something?" Izuku replied nervously.
"Oh nothing of the sort! Just wanting to let know dinner's ready."
The mention of food got Izuku's stomach growling a storm. The sudden noise turned Izuku into a crimson red of embarrassment as he cursed under his breath for the moment of weakness. He completely skipped lunch earlier to squeeze more time on reviewing his notes for one of his exams. While it may or may not given him the needed edge for the test it didn't put any ease for his desperate need of sustenance. Uraraka couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter to Izuku's dismay. She quickly composed herself and apologized before walking with her fellow classmate towards the common room for the evening's main meal.
The dorm's common room had its furniture pushed aside to make room for a long, family style dining table to be placed to accommodate the many students residing in the building. Thanks to the efforts of Yaoyorozu, Tenya Iida, Hagakure, Koda, and Shoji; the table is set with a vast variety of fine china and silverware to help the hungry students enjoy tonight's meal. Tenya, the class representative of 1A, shouts and calls for all the students to report to the table to start dinner. Not a student was late for everyone's eager to eat, and hoping to dodge an unnecessary lecture about tardiness from the class rep. With everyone accounted for, tonight's cooks Sato and Todoroki arrive from the nearby kitchen with two carts of draped plates, most likely containing tonight's meal. Todoroki was the first to arrive and placed a flat sheet of metal across a portion of the table which only stirred confusion among the students. It only soon wrought more confusion when Sato unraveled the plates containing raw meat and uncooked vegetables.
"Yo morons!" Bakugo shouted. "You're the cooks! You were suppose to 'COOK' the food!"
"Just wait." Todoroki responded as he finishes setting up the sheet metal in place on the table. Using the fire portion of his quirk, Todoroki heats up the metal to act as a sort of grill. With the metal up to temperature, Sato hops beside Todoroki and drizzles a good amount of cooking oil across the metal sheet before he throws slabs of meat onto the makeshift grill. The raw chunks of meat hit the metal with a satisfying sizzle. The marinated meat cook with ease with each passing second. The succulent aromas of seasoning invaded the nostrils of all the students present to further spurn everyone's appetite. Sato proceeds to unsheathe two sharp, cutting knives to portion the meat. After showing a martial display of knife wielding to entertain the students it didn't take too long for the group to realize Todoroki and Sato prepared a Hibachi style dinner. And the dinner was amazing. The meat and vegetables were cooked to perfection and Sato's impressive knife tricks brought all sorts of entertainment.
The meal done, the group proceed to clean up and restore the common room to its former state. The party continued on to its last bit of entertainment for the night: board and video games. The boys, mostly the eager group consisting of Kirishima, Sero, Kaminari, Mineta, and Izuku wanted to start a "Super Smash Ultimate" tournament. The other students that weren't interested in playing simply watched on the sidelines as the boys started their tournament. Before the match could start a new challenger approaches which only brought a mix of excitement and unease to the spectating students. Not wanting to be outdone in any competition, Bakugo steps in and demands for a controller. He was going to compete. Izuku has never seen Bakugo play video games, EVER. Normally he wouldn't take part in such social activities, seeing them as "beneath" his reputation. But for a chance to outdo Izuku, he wouldn't pass this up regardless of the challenge.
With Bakugo added to the tourney, the players square away in a free for all brawl. Each passing minute a player would get eliminated. Whether it was the feeling or frustration or anguish upon such a defeat it came to no surprise when it was down to the final two between Izuku and Bakugo. The spectating students cheered and shouted for both players as the game intensified. The final two didn't relent as the sound of clicking buttons and controls echoed under the finger tips of Izuku and Bakugo. Sweat would poor down the foreheads of both finalists. With Kirishima wiping Bakugo's brow as the same goes with Uraraka for Izuku, the game went on with much anticipation for a winner to emerge. The room went silent as "GAME" flashed on the screen of the TV. A winner has emerged.
"HA! Suck it Deku!" Bakugo taunted, pointing a finger to a groaning Izuku. "I am officially a better fighter and gamer than you!"
"Katsuki Bakugo! Show some respect to your opponent!" Tenya protested.
Tenya's plea was ignored as Bakugo continued to boast in front of his classmates. It didn't help humble the explosive hero as Kirishima and Sero praised Bakugo from the side. Izuku simply nodded to the victor but a wave of praise from the other students didn't go unnoticed. Izuka shook hands with his fellow competitors minus Bakugo and took the silver with grace.
Once things finally calmed down the group moved on to other games everyone could participate in. Truth or Dare was suggested and lead to several moments of pure hilarity for the students. Mina dared Tokiyama to eat bread crumbs off the floor while cawing like the typical crow. While some students viewed it as degrading, Tokiyama did it with stride and no shame. Hanta Sero dared Tsuyu to consume 3 of the spiciest peppers he procured from a recent grocery run. The students watched in amazement as Tsuyu downed the peppers with ease. Bakugo dared Aoyama to withstand a small dose of shock produced by the Electrification hero in training Denki Kaminari. Kaminari produced a small, harmless shock to ensure the safety of his fellow classmate but it didn't save Aoyama from shrieking in pain. The list went on and on of the various dares the students could muster. The game was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone minus Mineta. When an opportunity for any of the female students to do the said truth/dare, his suggestions were quickly shut down for the obvious intents by the foul-minded student.
The night went on with more games and laughs. It was at this moment Izuka could humbly say that he has quite possibly the best life any teenager his age could ask for. Its moments like these he can appreciate all his hard work he's done along the way in becoming a hero. With help from his classmates and All Might of course. Izuku admits he couldn't done this without those around. And thus he appreciates his peers for being there for him. But to top all that, the true saving grace is his mother. Her never-ending support and love is truly something he could never forget. And with this vacation at his doorstep he now can return home to spend and return the love and support his mom rightfully deserves.
The party eventually concludes when fatigue swept across the students. After cleaning the common room and kitchen, several students bid everyone a good night and set off to their rooms for sleep while another handful of students remained in the common room to chat some more before heading off to bed. Izuku Midoriya was at the base of the stairs when Tenya grabbed his attention from the common room. Curious on what his class representative wanted Izuku heads back into the common room to join up with Iida and the remaining students that were still awake.
"Not often I see you awake past 11 Iida." Izuka commented after plopping down on the couch beside the class rep and Uraraka.
"Very much so Midoriya." Iida replied. "However I won't be long and I do hope the same for you and the rest of everyone here. Anyway, forgive my negligence during the party. A package arrived for you before the festivities commenced and the thought slipped by me during some preparations."
Just like Iida said a brown package is sitting on the common room table.
"Oh hey, it's from my Mom!" Izuku stated when he read the address of the postage attached to the side.
"From your Mom? Aw that's sweet of her." Mina Ashido chimed in.
"Hey buddy, why don't you open it?" Kirishima asked.
"Now come on guys, isn't that a bit too personal?" Uraraka added.
It didn't take too long before the majority of the group started to pressure Izuku to reveal the contents sent to him. The green haired boy knew his mother and most of her gifts would be supportive greeting cards with some form All Might merchandise. It wasn't no secret to everyone about Izuku's admiration for All Might. But even still, Izuku stared at the package in front of him before Kaminari snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Ah come on now, I can't sleep NOT knowing what mama Izuku sent to her little boy."
Kaminari received a swift slap from Jiro's earjacks from the degrading comment towards Izuku. It seemed that one way or another Izuku was going to open his package in front of everyone. The numerous stares towards him and the box felt like several pounds of sand weighing him down.
"Now Deku, ignore the ramble from our classmates. Regardless of your decision we shall respect your privacy."
"It's okay Iida. I wouldn't mind sharing." Izuku reassured the class rep. Which was partially true. More so an excuse to shift the attention away from him and more towards Inko's gift to Izuku Midoriya.
That said Izuku proceeded to tear open the package to reveal a plain, light beige box sealed by yellow masking tape. After removing the tape Izuku empties the contents of the box onto the table. A single letter and a gray cassette.
"Huh, that's a bit anticlimactic." Jiro commented, unable to hide the disappointing scowl on her face.
Izuku held the small cassette in confusion. This is probably the first in a long time Izuka got something from his mother that wasn't All Might or Hero related. He set the tape down and started with the letter. Izuka tears off the envelope's seal and reads the handwritten letter enclosed.
"To my Sweet Izuku, I hope this package gets to you. I wanted to send you a video through the internet as many youngsters would do these days but you know me that I have trouble handling these outlandish devices. So call me old style dearie, hope you have something to play this. -Mom."
Unfortunately Izuku didn't have a TV in his room nor any means to play the cassette sent by his mom. He kept a mental note to teach his mother how to navigate the web when he returns home tomorrow. As much as he loves is Mom, even this kind of gift seems unorthodox from her.
"Hey, the common room TV can play that tape." Uraraka chimed in as she pointed to the devices connected underneath the TV. Just as Uraraka said a small cassette player as old as the students sat comfortably underneath the TV in the common room.
Wasting no time Izuku walks over the TV and sets the cassette into the playback device before switching on the TV. The group gathers around their green haired classmate as he stares into the glass screen of the TV. Not long after the TV flickers on an image of a green haired woman bearing similar features of Izuku appears. Already Izuku could tell he's in for a treat when he watches his mother struggle to get the camera straighten out.
"H-hello? Is this thing working?" the image of Inko Midoriya spoke towards the group.
This is the first time the students has a chance to see how Izuku's mother looks like and already her voice and innocent gaze has melted the female students' hearts.
"Goodness Izuku, you're definitely your mother's child." Iida commented, amazed by the strong resemblance between the two green haired individuals.
"Hello my dear Izuku!" the image of Inko spoke from the TV. "I hope your first year at UA went well. Usually I would send you letters and gifts but today I wanted to try something new. A-anyway, there's something I wanted to show you but I got too excited to wait so I thought of sending you this video. Look at this!" Inko said as she fumbled to reveal a letter of some kind towards the camera. Izuka's heart almost jumped a beat upon reading the letters printed on the paper Inko held. "I got a new job to work as an assistant for Ms Shuzenji!"
"Wait what!?"
"Ms. Shuzenji...hey that's Recovery Girl!" Uraraka added.
"That's right my dear Izuku!" the Inko in the TV continued on as if she could hear the students' reactions. "I'll be working in the UA campus as Recovery Girl's assistant. In a way, you can say I'm going to be her sidekick!"
The group of students beamed in delight upon hearing this revelation. None of the staff of UA ever revealed to their students that the school needed more staff. But it was due time Recovery Girl needed some help in her department given their history of numerous injuries during training, especially Izuku.
"I'll be starting my first day once your break is over. And don't worry my dear, I'll keep it professional during work hours but at the same time I do hope you don't treat me as your mother during the hours I'm working. Still, it brings me joy to be closer to you dear."
Izuku couldn't hide his smile on hearing his mother's joy. He had a hunch this was coming given the recent letters he received earlier during the year. The hints of Inko partaking in medical training and learning how to manage and put together specific documents, Izuka felt partially guilty for leaving his mother alone and bored during his time in UA. Thankfully this summer will give him plenty of time to catch up with his mother and an opportunity to celebrate with her getting this new job.
"And I think that's all I want to share my dear child. See you home very soon Izuku!"
The video ends and with that the students divert their attention back to Izuku. Between the barrage of praises and squeals about his mother, Izuka is stuck between overjoyed and embarrassed with the knowledge his mother will be within the same grounds as he will be during his years in UA. Still he can't help but be happy to hear his mother getting this job. With all that's happened this past year Izuku wishes only peace for his mom.
"Hey, the video's acting up." Kaminari pointed out.
The group looks over and like the electric hero said the video Inko sent started to play on its own. The screen began to warp as Inko's smiling face distorts into a blank background of static. The tape didn't seem to sound broken to Izuku. It played just fine up to this point so why now it started to go on the fritz. Before anyone made an attempt to check the playing device the video calms itself and reveals another new image.
The new setting left the group mildly uneasy as the TV showed a single chair occupied by a shadowy figure. A lone light hangs above the unmoving occupant, swaying back and forth slowly to reveal more of the quiet room. The light didn't do much as the room is bare of anything but the lone figure in the chair.
"Uh, I didn't take your mother being the horror film type." Kirishima commented, cracking a sly, amused smile.
Izuku quickly shushed his classmate as he continued staring into the screen. From behind the sitting figure another shadowy figure emerges. It appeared to be a man wearing all black clothing and a cowl covering most of its head. The face of the figure wore a eerie gas mask with the eyepieces glowing a sinister crimson red as if the figure's eyes were nothing but small spheres of two blood moons. The looming figure walked towards the chair and lifts the occupant's head towards the camera, and Izuku went cold at the sight.
His mother Inko, staring back into the camera in pure terror as the masked figure held her under the chin with its gloved hands.
"Come home Izuka." the figure spoke. "Your mother is waiting."
Author Note 2: And that wraps up the first chapter. Big thanks to Kraft58 for helping me putting this chapter together. I do hope you've enjoyed this tale so far. Feedback is appreciated and as always take care!- Poshil